The UBC Health community is mourning the passing of Dr. James (Jim) Frankish. 

Jim had a passion for and commitment to the promotion of public health. He had been Professor Emeritus at the School of Population and Public Health in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC. He was an active mentor and educator to generations of public health professionals, having worked with students and colleagues from more than 34 disciplines. 

He was a well-respected clinical academic, researcher, and psychologist and was known for his teaching in the extremely popular Interprofessional Health & Human Service (IHHS) course, Understanding the Sociocultural Determinants of the Health. This College of Health Disciplines interprofessional undergraduate course featured student-directed community service-learning opportunities supported by the Learning Exchange. Jim received outstanding teaching reviews, and the course was always fully subscribed with a substantial waitlist of students eager to register. 

Jim was a strong community advocate for supportive housing of the homeless and persons with mental health and problematic substance use. In 2013, his team received the BC Health Association Legacy Award from the College of Health Disciplines at UBC for its work on the At Home/Chez Soi project, which examined ‘Housing First’ as a means of ending homelessness for people living with mental illness in Canada. 

Jim and his dog Lola, who made frequent cameo appearances in his IHHS classes and outside the UBC Hospital cafeteria (where she would wait patiently for Jim to bring her a piece of cheese) will be sincerely missed. 

UBC Health extends our condolences to Jim’s family and friends. 

Posted September 3, 2021